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Impala
| Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 - 11:18 pm: |
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So due to the previous owners negligence with the exhaust I new have a crack in the header. It is at the weld for the O2 bung. Anyone know a good welder in the Madison, WI area that won't cost a fortune? What material is the header made from? Thanks! (Message edited by impala on January 15, 2014) |
Dannybuell
| Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 - 11:44 pm: |
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is it magnetic? |
Lynrd
| Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 08:53 am: |
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Some stainless will still attract a magnet, but it's a good test. (learned that one the hard way). Since it has an O2 bung, I would assume it is not from an M2, and therefore is stainless. Can't recommend any welders specifically, but if you can any high end exhaust places they should have the skills - stainless exhaust is used on some Mercedes (at least my CLK has one from the factory). |
Essmjay
| Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 11:23 am: |
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I don't know his name, but I had my header welded up in Madison a couple years ago on my way to Arkansas. He builds iron fence gates and does welding. He was SE of town and I found him in a welders search online. He was able to weld up my stainless header while it was still on the bike, saved my trip. |
Buellistic
| Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 11:37 am: |
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EXHAUST ASSEMBLY Class 101, just PM me for a copy ... Keeps header from CRACKING !!! |
Impala
| Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 01:39 pm: |
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Yeah I had a previous post about my issues. Previous owner ran the front pipe without a clip so it was just flopping around in the port. He also stripped a stud and thought just forcing a metric nut on there would fix the problem. |
Buell_bert
| Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2014 - 08:15 am: |
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Just do a search in the Madison area for TIG welding. I am from LAX and know quite a few around here (I do have a TIG machine). Ask a few gearheads or bikers, they should know also. |
Buell_bert
| Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2014 - 08:19 am: |
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Hey I just thought, my cousin is from Sussex and he may do that as he is a welder and has a shop. |
D_adams
| Posted on Friday, January 17, 2014 - 07:34 am: |
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You could end up with one like this. Fixed it even though it had cracks running all over it at the front bend where it came apart completely. I can't prove it conclusively, but it was caused in part by having been wrapped, along with possible improper mounting. It's 300 grade stainless, so use 308, 308L or 309 filler for it. |
General_ulysses
| Posted on Friday, January 17, 2014 - 09:01 am: |
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Just a little OT here (pardon), but do you guys know if stainless exhaust headers can be successfully chromed so that the chrome holds up and doesn't experience delamination/peeling and also discoloration at the exhaust outlet? |
Lynrd
| Posted on Friday, January 17, 2014 - 09:55 am: |
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Delamination/peeling of chrome from steel, stainless or otherwise is a sign of a crap chrome job. Chrome is a nasty process and the EPA has made it hard to obtain a good job, but it can be had. Since I am in California where the laws concerning this stuff are even stricter, I ship parts to other parts of the country where it can be done - S&H in Nashville, TN is a good source. Like painting, getting quality chrome done hinges on good, careful surface prep. it's labor intensive, chemically EXTREMELY nasty, and not cheap. However, chrome exhaust will just about always discolor near the head no matter what the base material is or how good the chrome is if you actually ride the bike. Also, the pour-in-the-pipe "Liquid heat shield" crap does not work long term. I have watched many Harley riders go to extreme lengths to try to prevent blueing, and short of double wall pipes like Samson (which will still blue near the exhaust port) I've never seen a long term solution. The best fix I've seen was the one Bub did for his aftermarket "Bad Dog" pipes- really nice, close fitting heat shields (He called them "Guard dogs"). if you had two exhausts, you could maybe slice one up, fit up the slices and use springs for retainers, then chrome the slices. To do it well you really are going to need some fab skills to slightly increase the radius of the shields, If your bike is well tuned, the blueing should stop within about 10" of the exhaust port, But chrome pipes turn blue - they just do. It's true, they won't look new. I've also been told that "Chrome won't get you home" but I have not verified that. |
Buell_bert
| Posted on Friday, January 17, 2014 - 11:06 am: |
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If you like chrome that is fine. I really do too. If you want your pipes to stay silver colored but not chrome and stay a solid color, look at ceramic coating. I have had mine done for a couple years and they still look super. The company that did my powdercoating did the ceramic coating. I wish I had this knowledge or option 25 years ago. May your tanks stay full of non ethanol PREMIUM FUEL. |
Koz5150
| Posted on Friday, January 17, 2014 - 11:27 am: |
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+1 on the Ceramic coating!!! Not quite as shiney as chrome, but it keeps its color and reduces heat on your right leg. It was a noticable difference on my M2 in the summer. A Jet Hot coating is under $200
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General_ulysses
| Posted on Friday, January 17, 2014 - 07:03 pm: |
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Thanks for the info guys. Yeah I figured they would blue no matter what. Not that I mind some blueing actually. It kinda looks cool in a retro way. As long as it doesn't rust or get too discolored I think it looks ok. I just remember a friend of mine with a nice Harley about ten years talking about the various chrome pipe quality available. He said something like all aftermarket pipes discolored too much, but the pipes produced by Harley had the best chrome with the least amount of discoloration. I don't think he was just giving me the "Man, Harley's #1...or go home man!" bullsheet. He was saying they had superior quality control/process whatever for their chrome stuff. Anyway, when I get my S1, I was thinking I'd like to have a nice chrome header contrasting a deep gloss black paint job. But maybe the chrome just isn't practical? The ceramic coating looks pretty good, maybe that's what I'll do instead. Thanks all, sorry for the hijack. |
Thundermotive
| Posted on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 - 10:44 pm: |
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Dawley aviation in Burlington did a beautiful job on my race system. They only repair stainless. |
Impala
| Posted on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 - 11:56 pm: |
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Well I got a quote to repair the header. For the price it will cost to properly repair it, I will just use the shiny new ceramic header that I got a good deal on instead of repairing it. Winter project is coming along though! |
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